Improvement in corn-harvesters



UNYIVTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

IIENRYWVILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS,V

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,046, dated July 29, ISGQ.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, HENRY VILLIAMs, o Chicago, in the county of Cook, in the State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Constructing Corn-Harvesters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section ofthe cornharvester through Fig. 2, a plan of the cornharvester. (Y

The nature of my invention consists, first,

aof an arrangement allowing at pleasure the dropping of the mowed corn to the ground; second, ofthe peculiar construction ofthe whole machine.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct mymachine in the followingl manner: As it consists, rst, of its frame; second, of the corn-cutting arrangement; third, of the arrangement carrying the corn after being cut upon the tables, from which it\is dropped to the ground; fourth, of the arrangement effecting the dropping of the corn from the gathering-tables to the ground, I shall describe each of these four mentioned subjects separately.

I. T he frame. The letters A A represent the 4main timber of the frame, to which, inright angle and certain distances, the timbers a a a a are fastened. Thecrosstimber B, connecting the side timbers, b b, and which are fastened to the bottom side of the frame-timber A, forms the Atongue to my corn-harvesteri At I* the free end of each of the timbers a a c c a' guide or pedestal, D D Dl D", is fastened for the purpose to hang the whole frame, with its connections, upon the shaft E. Around the latter the wheels WV W turn. (Fig. 2.)v

II. The corn mowing or cutting arrangement t consists of the knives or sickles Q Q', (seen in front of the frame-timber A and to each side of the tongue B.) rIhe two siekles are guided by means of the guides G G G G (seen at one side of the tongue B) and G G G G', (seen at the other side'of the tongue,) parallel to the frame-timber A. The guides G and G are fastened in front to the frame-timber A. The

shaft M M (seen in the center between the two innerframe-timbers, a c, and parallel to them) is held in its place by lneans of the pedestal or journal-box Z (the latter is fastened to the topside of the timber A) on one side, and by the pedestal N N on the oppositev side or end. The pedestal N N is fastened to the upper' side of the frame-timber a. Near or close to the pedestal N the cog-wheel J is fast-- cned` to shaft M.- At the opposite end the gear-wheel- 7L is attached. Thef cog-wheel J communicates motion directly to shaft M, upon which it is fastened, as soon as the large cog-wheel H (H is fastened to the wheel-shaft E) receives motion by means of moving the machine in forward or backward direction. So, alsomotionvis transmitted to the toothwheel h, for the purpose to revolve the smaller tooth-wheels t' t" with their plates m m', Fig.

2. To each of the plates m m a crank-pin, w w', is fastened, (their position to each other is ninety degrees,) which communicates motion, by means of the coupling-rods q q', to the l sckles Q Q. At the ends of the wheel-shaft E the ratchet-wheels R R', with their pawls or stopsSS, are seen. (Fig. 2.) The ratchetwheels are fastened to the shaft E, while their pawls j j are attached to the inside of the hub-rim of the wheels ww'. The object of said .A

ratchet-wheels and their corresponding pawls (the latter, as already mentioned, are fastened to the wheel-hubs) is to communicate the motion of the wheels NV W to shaft Eand its connection, when the whole machine is moved in forward direction. In moving the machine forward the wheels XV W will follow in the same direction, so, also, the pawlsjj, which` causes the latter to catch the teeth of the ratchet-wheels R R, forcing thereby the shaft E, with its connections, to move, also, in the same direction. Moving themachine backward, no connection in relation of transmitting motion is formed or better effected between the wheels W W and the shaft E. The relative position of the ratchet-wheels and their pawls to each other, Fig. l, explains it. Vith reference to the above mentioned, the mowing or cutting ofthe eornis effected -by moving the frame of the machine in for- Warddirection, which causes (in consequence of .theconneetion formed between the frame vand the wheel-shaft E by means of the pedesv Vtals or j ournal-boxes D D D D and the ratchet-wheel arrangement) the forward motion of the cog-wheel H. Cog-wheel J, being in direct connection with H, communicates motion to shaft M, the latter to wheel lz., h to i m', and '13 m, and m my', by means of the crank-pins w w' and the coupling-rods q q', to the sickles Q Q'. The motion given to the sickles QQ is a horizon tall y forward and backward one. The forward motion of the whole machine, in connection with the action of the sickles Q Q', causes the moving or cutting of the corn.

Il I. The arrangement for carrying the corn after being out upon the tables, from which it is dropped to the ground, consists of two Vertical shafts, I I I I', which are placed in equal d s tance from the center line drawn through the machine, Fig. 2, upon the frame-timber A.k The same are held in their vertical position by means of the flatbrace L L. The same extends parallel to the framc-timbcr A and above it from shaft I I to shaft I I. At their upper end they are furnished with the arms or fingers l 1, 2 2, .1" l', 2' 2'. To their lower end the grooved pulleys Y Y'l are fastened-that is to say, Y is attached to shaft I I, Y" to shaft I I. llheposition-of said pulleys is at the lower end of the shafts I I, I I', and between the frame-timber A and the flat brace L L. The latter is fastened to frame-timber A by meansof the two angle-irons 5 5, which are placed close to the inner sides of the shafts I I I I'. The pulley Y', fastened upon shaft X, communicates motion to pulley Y and shaft I I by means of belt y. Pulley Y'", (seeJ Fig. 1,) being also fastened to shaft X, but below Y', transmits motion to pulley Y" and shaft I I'. The revolving shafts I I I I', with their fingers, (called together reels,) have the object to bring the corn before or to the sickles Q Q', and after being cut to throw the same, in connection with the converging bended track-clearers n n and 0L' n', upon the platforms or tables P P'. The tracklayers n n u' a' are fastened upon the frametimbcr A at each -end of it. (See Fig. 2.) Close to the inside of the frame-timber A the cog-wheel K, with its notched hub V', is fastened to the shaft IWI, communicating .directly with the cog-wheel K', Fig. l. The latter is attached to the vertical shaft X, so, also, the pulleys Y' Y'". Shaft X is held in its position by means of passing with its upper end through the ilat brace L L, and extending with Iits lower end somewhat into the pedestal or journalbox Z of shaft M. (Z is seen on the top of the frame-timber A.) Between the frame-timbers a, a', a", and a", I place a table vor platform, P P', Fig. 2. Each one of them is formed by laying a piece of cloth or any other 'suitable material around the rollers r 1" (the latter are extent". el from a to a' and from a," to a'", `and placed -parallel to each other and to the frametimber A) in shape of an endless belt. Inline with the frame-timbers a a' c" a', I place the shafts F F' F" F"',with their corresponding fingers. The shafts F F' are stationary, and therefore fastened to the top of the frame-timbers a a'". Theposition of the iingersff'f" of shaft F -F' F by means of the belts y" y'. ter transmit motion to the pulleys O'`(O con- ;taining a notched hub, 0") and O", (0" coni taining the notched hub 12'.) Both pulleys are fastened to their corresponding shaftpthat is, O' to F' and O" to F".

and the fingers f' f ""f of shaft F'" is a declined one. The shafts F' F", with their straight fingers, are calculated to revolve. Each one of them is guided by means of two boxes or guides-F' by the guides t and t', F" by t" and 1f. These guides are placed near to the lower end of the shafts F' F". The guides t and t'" are fastened to the top side of the frame-timber A, t' and t" upon the frame-timbers a' and af". The shafts F F' and their corresponding fingers forln an extension of the platforms Pand .1". The operation to carry the corn after being cut upon the tables P P', and their revolving extensions, is as follows: In the moment t-he machine is moved forward shaft E ,turns, and with its cog-wheel H H transmits the motion to the cog-wheels .I and K. Both .I and-K are fastened upon shaft M.) K, as in direct contact with cog-wheel K', communicates motion to K and to the pulleys Y' Y'.

the latter transfer their motion by means of The belts y y/ to the pulleys Y and Y', the shafts I I I I', (to which Y and Y' are fastened.) This causes the shafts I I I I' and their fingers to revolve in the direction the arrows, Fig. 2, indicate, in consequence of which the mowed corn is carried toward theplatforms P P'. The peculiar `shape and the position of the track- {clearcrs u n and n u', so, also, the sheet-iron Iplates d d' el" d', which form sides to the tablesP P', are calculated to assist in effecting the carrying of the mowed corn upon the ta- .bles P P' and their extensions. 1

IV. The arrangement to effect at pleasure the dropping of the mowed corn resting upon the tables P P' to the ground consists of the grooved pulleys O O O" O'. The double pulley O O' (containing a notched hub T') is placed .loose fitting upon shaft M. Its purpose is to transmit motion to :the revolving-table parts The lat- Upon each Vof the re volving shafts I place a notched hub, (fitting its corresponding shaft'loosely,) which I connect by means ofthe rod c i: o. (The latter is again in connection with the ring g g, see Fig.

l, which surrounds the hub of the pulley O.) The notched hub T (T fitting the notched hub O" of pulley O"') fits loose shaft F", while the notched hub T'" (T' fitting the notched hub o' of the pulley 0") is placed upon shaft F". The position of the pulleys 0"' O" and their corresponding notched hubs, T T'", is between the guides of the revolving shafts F F'", t i', and t" t"'.' To the inner side of the frametimber A, I fasten the two springs p p'. Their object is to press the notched hubs T T against their corresponding pulleys-T against 0"' and T'" against O".

The operation of the dropping arrangement is as follows: The machine is iii/forward motion. Cog-wheel H revolves shaft M by i me revolved in the direction the shaft M turns. It

also causes the depression ofthe springs pp and the disconnection between the notched hubs T T and their corresponding pulleys, 0 O. As soon as the double pulley O O becomes re volved motion is immediately transmitted (by and their corresponding shafts, F F, Which causes a toward motion of the lingers g g g (of shaft F) and 7L h It, (of shaft'FQ) 'by Which the droppingof the corn from both tables P P at once is effected. In the moment the operator withdraws his foot from the rod v o the springs p p take their natural position, which causes the disconnection between the double pulley O O and the shaft M. The notched hub T is drawn back and out of the notch fv, and the tables P P remain again in their position to receive the corn.

The letter C represents the seat for the operator of the machine. The same rests upon two iron rods, which are fastened to the frametimber A. l

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The revolving tables consisting of the shafts F F F F, in combination with the arrangement by which the revolving motion or the stopping of the revolving shafts F F at the pleasure ofthe driver can be effected, substantially as described. means of the belts y g/") to the pulleys O 0 2. Operating the sickles Q Qand the revolv: ing shafts F F by means of `connecting-shaft E with shaft M, and M with F F, in the mauner as set forth.

HENRY WILLIAMS.

Titnesses AC. XV, THEO. KRAUscH,

E. J. STRONG. 

